World · Nepal-Tibet borderGlacial Collapse Triggers Deadly Floods in Nepal-TibetAired August 29, 2026 at 3:16 AM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00In the Himalayas, a wall of water rose 9 meters in 30 minutes.0:04The flood killed hundreds and left more than 1,400 missing, including dozens of0:08foreigners.0:09It was not an earthquake.0:11It was a glacier collapse.0:13How did the region have no warning?0:14It started with a collapse on a steep glacier at 5,200 meters.0:19Within minutes, an avalanche of ice and rock blocked a river.0:22When the dam burst, a surge of water and debris tore through the valleys.0:26The flood hit the Chinese Immigration Center at 9.14, just minutes after a trekking0:30group contacted their coordinator.0:32By 9.44, water had risen 9 meters in some areas.0:36Rescue teams are still searching for survivors days later.0:39Scientists initially thought an earthquake triggered the disaster.0:43The USGS recorded a magnitude 5.2 seismic event, but it was actually the vibration0:48of the avalanche.0:49The collapse itself was the catalyst.0:52A massive section of glacier sheared off, slid down, and dammed the river.0:56When the rock wall gave way, a wall of mud and melt water surged downstream at up to1:00145 kilometers per hour.1:03The flood blocked the Botekoshi and Trishuli rivers, affecting valleys popular with1:08trekkers and pilgrims.1:09In some areas, water rose 9 meters in just 30 minutes.1:13The river level climbed about 15 meters.1:16An event Nepali authorities say occurs once in hundreds of years.1:20Death tolls vary.1:21Nepali authorities have confirmed at least 362 deaths and more than 1,400 missing,1:27but Euronews reports nearly 500 dead, while BBC says 350.1:31Earlier counts were lower.1:33Chinese state media report 3 dead and 558 missing in Tibet.1:37The figures overlap and are expected to rise.1:39Among the missing are 65 Americans, 33 Britons, and more than 100 Indian pilgrims.1:45Officials say 476 foreign nationals from over 30 countries are unaccounted for.1:51Some are part of a 22-person Tennessee pilgrimage group.1:54A separate group of nearly 80 members of the Isha Foundation from 19 countries1:58remains unreachable.2:00The foundation says 1,000 people were on the trek.2:02495 have returned, and 743 in Tibet are safe.2:06The disaster struck along the Nepal-Tibet border.2:09The collapse occurred in the upper Lende Kola, a tributary of the Bode Koshi, about2:1455 kilometers northwest of Kodari.2:16The flooding affected the Girong Port area in Tibet and the Rasuwa district in2:21Nepal.2:21Mount Kailash, a sacred site, is nearby.2:24Roads, bridges, and hydropower plants have been destroyed.2:27In Dunga Village, a resident said 75 to 80 percent of homes were destroyed.2:32Flood water covered the first floor of buildings.2:35Several villages are cut off.2:36The Himalayas, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush contain over 40,000 glaciers, but only a2:42few dozen are continuously monitored, a fraction of what the Alps have.2:46Many upstream monitoring stations were swept away before they could warn the2:49valleys.2:50A barrier lake holding about 3 million cubic meters of water upstream could burst2:54and trigger another flood.2:55Scientists are watching it closely.2:57International aid is arriving.2:59The U.S.2:59committed $500,000.3:01South Korea pledged $1 million and sent a disaster team.3:04The UK provided £5 million in first responders.3:08India sent nearly 50 tons of supplies.3:10The UN allocated $2 million.3:12China deployed 800 emergency workers on the Tibetan side.3:15UNICEF says tens of thousands of children are affected.3:19At least 70 schools are closed near riverbanks.3:22The agency warns of disease, malnutrition, and protection risks.3:26Some children fainted as they fled to higher ground.3:29Behind all of this is a warming climate.3:31The United Nations reports that Nepal's mountains have lost nearly one-third of3:35their ice in just over 30 years.3:37But with so few glaciers monitored, the next collapse could come without warning,3:41and the valleys below may again have only minutes to move.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSSThe shortThe short ↗